Judgement Day
by sarahlovestwilightyesshedoes
Summary: Could one teenage girl turned vampire help a certain heartbroken man see the light at the end of tunnel? Read and find out!
1. Chapter 1

**I'm back, baby :D Haha sorry for the ridiculously long and inexcusable absence! I had to get this out there, but I'll be updating my other stuff too don't worry(: Enjoy!**

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><p>I've always loved the woods - it gives me a sense of peace, of belonging, a place to run to. I know it will always be there, regardless of everything else going on in my life. My mother warned and prohibited me from coming here lately due to missing hikers, but with her screaming at me all the time about everything I do wrong, where else does she expect me to go?<p>

I walked through the twigs and low-growing vegetation around me, deviating a few feet from the trail. Something - probably my good sense - was telling me that this was a bad idea because of everyone going missing lately, but I honestly didn't care. At least going missing would be a break from the monotony.

Okay, I'll take it back. Things weren't _that _bad. I just need escape every now and then, which is not something my mother and step-father really understood. Ever since Dad died and my older brother ran off with his stripper girlfriend, Mom wasn't the same. She married some rich, uptight fake who felt he was better than everyone else, including me, just because he lived in a big house in Vermont. I could see the light at the end of the tunnel, figuratively. I was seventeen, and I was going into my senior year of high school. After that I'd be leaving for college, and I'd be free.

I was thinking about that freedom – sweet, glorious freedom – when I noticed the cloudy sky getting darker above me.

I hadn't realized exactly where I was going, but I knew that I was in a part of the forest I wasn't quite familiar with. Panic fluttered in my chest briefly, but I attempted to think around it – I would just pull out my compass and find my way back-

My inner attempts at reasoning with myself were cut off but a deep, menacing growl. I froze, my eyes darting around restlessly, trying to find the source of the sound. The sun had set faster than I had expected, and my night vision wasn't as sharp as I wished. I heard something that sounded vaguely like voices followed by laughter, and I ran toward the sound, happy at the fact that people were nearby and I wasn't too far from the trail, apparently.

I followed the sound cautiously, not wanting to attract the wrong kind of attention. When I found the source of the voices, the people they belonged to were so..._ different _that I staggered to stop and hid behind the thick trunk of a tree, grateful for my uncanny ability to blend in. I peeked around the tree. There were three women, one blonde, one brunette, and one black-haired. The brunette, who was facing away from me, was in a strange stance, almost a crouch, except it was oddly defensive and... _anamalistic_, even. The other two women were glancing between her and each other. The blonde's expression was annoyed, and the black-haired woman's was somewhat smug. I quieted my breathing and listened.

"I told you not to goad her, Eva," the blonde said, shooting a glance at the other woman.

Eva rolled her eyes. "It's not my problem Annie needs anger management therapy, Lydia."

Lydia sighed and turned to Annie. "Annie, please..."

The growl that came from Annie was so inhuman I involuntarily staggered backward, snapping a twig under my foot. I was taken aback – it sounded like the exact same growl I had heard not too long ago. Intrigued and afraid all at once, I kept listening. This group of pale women were fascinating me.

A few things happened at once, then. First, Annie straightened up out of her crouch in a movement so fast it was a blur. Then, the three women turned and stared at me. Thirdly, their eyes were red... as red as fresh blood.

I gasped, frozen in shock. Raw terror slithered through my veins like poison, for reasons I couldn't explain. I turned and ran.

Before I could get very far, I tripped and fell over a log. A stick found its way into my palm and drew blood, which stung a little. I couldn't focus on that now, though. I scrambled to get off the ground. I turned around, and was faced with the three women who had obviously chased me. I noticed then that they were extremely beautiful. Their features were flawless, and I felt my mouth drop open.

The brunette, Annie, dropped into a crouch and snarled at me, baring her teeth. The blonde was regarding me with a seemingly curious expression, but her frightening eyes were guarded, yet considering. She placed a hand on Annie's shoulder. Annie turned, confused, but Lydia shook her head. "Not this one," I heard her murmur.

"But she's seen too much! And I haven't fed in a while..." she complained. She was gazing at me like a predator staring down its prey.

Her words startled me. I was too paralyzed to move, even though I still had the overwhelming urge to get myself the hell out of there.

"I know, but I have a good feeling about her."

Annie stood up straight and met Eva's eyes, then Lydia's. Slowly, they both nodded.

"What are you?" I blurted. My voice was little more than a whisper.

Lydia met my eyes then; her expression was somewhat sad. "First things first. What is your name?"

"Kristin," I answered.

"Well, Kristin, I wish I could tell you differently."

Before I knew what happened, everything went black.


	2. Chapter 2

When I finally came to, I was in the worst agony I had ever experienced. I wondered for a moment if I was on fire... or perhaps I was dipped into a vat of acid. It certainly felt like either of those options were plausible.

I heard screaming and wondered where it was coming from. I took me a minute to realize that _I _was the one screaming. Not that it surprised me, considering the pain I was in. I faintly heard someone murmuring to me, but the words were being drowned out by my agonized shrieking.

Everything was still black, and I realized I must have had my eyes closed. I didn't open them – I didn't want to see what was out there, hurting me so badly. I also figured out that I was writhing in pain, my arms and legs flailing about, my back arched from the ground. My breaths were coming in pants, my lungs feebly trying to catch up with my racing heart.

I heard a voice – a woman's – again, and this time I heard what she was saying. "I know you're in pain, but you need to calm down and try to be quiet."

What she was saying shocked me, and even with all of the pain, it kind of pissed me off. How could she tell me to keep quiet when she had no idea what kind of agony I was in?

I found my voice then. "Keep _quiet_?" I screeched. "Calm _down_? Do you even realize how much damn pain I'm in?"

"Only too well, Kristin," was all she said after that.

I lost track of time after that. I had no idea how much had passed . It could have seconds, minutes, days, or years. All that registered with me was the pain – oh, the pain. It was horrible of course. There was no change in it unless it got worse. I would lapse between screaming my head off and simply groaning and curling in on myself. No matter what I did to try and relieve myself, nothing changed. I was frustrated beyond belief. I didn't hear anyone talking to me anymore, which was a relief. I simply wanted to left alone in my anguish.

After a while, I noticed the pain beginning to leave in my hands and feet. I nearly cried out in relief. The pain may have been leaving in my hands, feet, and now my face, butevery increment of pain that was fading in the other parts of my body was going straight to my chest. My heart was thudding violently. I felt my back arch up and I let out a strangled scream of pain. _This is it. This is where I die._

The pain was now only in my heart, and it felt like someone lit my insides on fire. I heard voices now. "She's almost done," the same feminine voice from earlier murmured.

Suddenly, my heart gave two weak beats, and stopped.

But for some reason, I wasn't dead.

Slowly, I opened my eyes and froze in shock. I could see _everything. _I could see every crack in the wooden ceiling above me. The dust motes were dancing in the air directly above my face. I sat up and waved them away, aggravated. I came to realize that I had been lying on a bed – no, a cot. Normally, I would find this uncomfortable, but I felt no discomfort. It had no effect on me whatsoever. I took a deep breath and dragged my eyes away from the ceiling. With that breath came an olfactory assault. I could smell the wooden walls of this place, the forest outside, and a sharp, sweet smell that I couldn't place.

That's when I noticed I had an audience.

There were three women there, one brunette, one blonde, one black-haired, and they were looking me over cautiously. As I looked them over, everything clicked back into place. A walk in the woods... three women... running... passing out... red eyes...

I jumped off the cot with a startled gasp. My sudden realization had taken barely half a second, and jumping off the cot even less. I had no clue what was going on with me, but I was going to find out.

The blonde in the middle took two steps closer to me, her hands up in what was meant to be a non-threatening gesture. "Kristin... you're okay. I mean you no harm."

In my opinion, she had taken two steps too many. I backed away from her, my back touching the cool glass of a window. I never once took my eyes off of her. I didn't trust her before, and I certainly didn't trust her now. I tried to remember... tried to bring back the memory of right before I passed out, but it was like looking through muddy water. The one thing I remember was that the blonde's name was Lydia.

The hiss that passed through my clenched teeth scared me a little, but I didn't want to worry about that right now.

"Kristin, I won't hurt you."

"The hell you won't!" My voice sounded different... Only a fraction of my mind was focused on this, however. I was mainly trying to get Lydia to stay the hell away from me until I figured this out.

Lydia... that's when I put two and two together and made four.

"You did this to me!" I shouted. I took a few steps toward her and she backed away. The other two – Annie and Eva, if I remembered correctly – moved forward to protect their leader, if necessary.

Eva spoke then. "Tell me, Kristin. Do you feel better or worse now? The pain is gone. Isn't that what you wanted? What you were screaming about for three and half days?"

That brought me up short. I did feel a lot better, considering the terrible agony I had been subjected to earlier. I attempted to calm myself down; it seemed that if I wanted answers, I would have to look here first.

"I see your point," I conceded.

Eva's expression relaxed then. Annie was still glancing at me warily, and Lydia seemed pleased.

Lydia, with a smile, gestured to the door leading out of this room, which I hadn't paid much attention to until now. "Come now. You must be parched."

That was something I hadn't thought about. I took another breath, and it felt like someone was shoving a hot iron poker down my throat. I gasped and my hand clutched at the skin of my neck, which felt smooth and hard. "Ouch," I muttered. "You're right, I am thirsty." But for some reason, water held no appeal to me. "But I don't want water?" It came out as a question.

Eva cracked a smile and said, "No. We prefer something... richer."

The way she said "richer" made it sound like a dirty word. As we walked out of the room and through a shabby little cabin complete with all the modern conveniences, I wondered what she could possibly mean. _Alcohol, maybe_? I had never been one to drink – I didn't like the taste – but that's the only thing I could come up with. Instead of unlocking a liquor cabinet, however, we went outside.

When I crossed the threshold, I was astonished at the sights and sounds of the Vermont forest around me. But that wasn't my main concern. I continued to follow the three women in front of me. Suddenly, they took off at a run, and I followed them. I was surprised I could keep up. We were so fast... the world should have blurred around me, but it didn't. I could still see everything in perfect, pristine detail.

We stopped on the main trail through this part of the woods. I remembered walking this trail many, many times. It hadn't changed a bit, but I could see things I didn't see before. There were no people on the trail now, but far away, I could faintly hear voices... and something else that piqued my interest much more.

_Thud... thud... thud... _a beating heart. No, two. I could hear Lydia about to say something, but stop short. I'd obviously beat her to the punch. I took off down the trail toward the source of the sound, and I heard the others following behind me.

When we reached the source of the voices – two men and two women, more than I thought – their eyes widened at the sight of us. I was single-minded in that moment, however. I could smell something... the sweetest scent in the known universe... a smell that promised good things to come for eternity.

I attacked one of the men, knocking him unconscious when he made contact with the hard ground. I heard screaming in the background, but paid it no mind. Without a second thought, I sank my teeth into his neck, and his sweet blood filled me, and I felt like nothing could go wrong in that moment.

When I was finished, I lifted my face from his neck and wiped my mouth. When I saw the blood on my hands, I realized what had just taken place... what I had just done.

Revolted, I shoved the dead body away from me and stood up. It took me less than a second. I took a few steps back, unable to lift my eyes from the man's body. A man who had a life... a wife and children, maybe... dreams, aspirations, goals... a future.

_I _had taken that away from him. I had hurt other people with my own selfishness.

What kind of monster was I?

Things started to click into place as I thought that. Drinking blood... speed... strength... those terrible red eyes my human memories couldn't _really _do justice...

I was a vampire.


	3. Chapter 3

For a moment, I couldn't drag my eyes away from the body that lay but a few feet away from me. I wanted to, but I wasn't able. I was absolutely horrified at what I'd done. Annie, Lydia, and Eva's bodies were laying on the dirt, as well, looking just as good as mine. Mine seemed to be much more beaten up... broken bones, from what I could tell. _I don't know my own strength._ The thought sobered me and frightened me even further. In comparison, if I didn't know any better, I would have thought the others were simply sleeping or unconscious.

I still couldn't wrap my head around the fact that I was a _vampire_. Since when did they exist? Apparently they did, because I was one. And how was I out in the daytime? And how about crosses, garlic, holy water?

"Kristen?"

It was Lydia. I turned to her. I realized I wasn't even moving, apart from the slight breeze lifting my dark hair off of my neck and shoulders.

"I... I think I need to be alone for a while," I told her.

Outwardly, she didn't seem to mind, but she was watching me strangely. "All right, but don't be gone long. If you're gone too long, I'll assume you ran off on me and we'll come looking. Follow the scent back to the house and we'll go from there."

And the three of them disappeared. I watched them go for a moment, then I turned and ran.

I really didn't even know where I was going. I was simply running to run. Everything should have been blowing past me in a blur, but I could see everything perfectly. The colors were much more vibrant, the edges sharper. My view of the forest was like a professionally edited photo, except ten times better than any graphic designer would have been able to accomplish.

I broke through into a gap in the trees, and there was a beautiful meadow. A little ways off, there was a small pond. A wooden sign was laying sideways on the ground next to it. It read _Beaver Meadow_. It was a cute little place, actually. I gazed down into the pond, and was taken aback by my reflection in the water.

I was... _beautiful_. It wasn't as if I was ugly before or anything, but I was a lot better looking than I was before. Everything was the same, except greatly enhanced. All but my eyes. My eyes – once hazel – were now scarlet red, the color of fresh blood. _Fits, huh? _

I'm not sure of how long I stayed there in that meadow, but time escaped me. It wasn't until I heard Annie and Eva's voices calling my name that I realized that I must have worried Lydia by being gone so long. Problem was, I really didn't want to be found.

I climbed into the nearest tree with unnerving ease, held my breath (which caused me no discomfort), and waited.

I saw them slow to a stop beneath me. The tops of their heads, Annie's brunette and Eva's black, were close enough that were I to lean off my branch, I could have touched them.

"I smell her," Eva said slowly, "and the trail stops somewhere around here. But I can't see her."

"Is she laying a trap?" Annie wondered.

Eva shook her head. "No, I don't think so. I didn't pick up another trail on the way here. She ran in a fairly straight line."

"Hmm... I was led here, though," Annie murmured, and then she looked up, and she saw me.

Except... she didn't.

It was weird. She had looked directly at me, but she seemed not to have seen me. Either she was a very good actress and was trying to hide me on purpose, or she was going blind. Neither seemed like a likely possibility.

Eva followed her gaze upward, and she didn't see me either, it seemed.

"Where _is _she? Seriously, if I wanted to play hide-and-seek, I'd have taken one of the neighborhood children," she grumbled, obviously frustrated.

I figured that I had dragged this out long enough, and dropped out of my tree deftly, landing on my feet like a cat. I made almost no sound. "Were you looking for me?" I asked nonchalantly. Damn me to hell, but I sort of enjoyed it. After the afternoon I'd been having, I think I deserved a little fun.

Both of them nearly jumped out of their skins. Then they glowered at me, apparently not to used to be taken by surprise. It took everything I had in me not to start laughing at their expressions.

Eva was the one who took the initiative and jumped on my case first. "Where the _hell _did you come from? Annie and I were looking absolutely _everywhere _for you!"

"I was in the tree," I told her, gesturing upward.

"Which one?"

"This one." I pointed to the respective maple tree.

"No, you weren't," said Annie, her tone incredulous. "I looked right into that tree and I didn't see you."

"Nor did I," Eva added.

"Maybe I'm just that good at hiding," I told them, grinning.

Eva rolled her eyes. "All right, smart-ass. Let's go back home."

On our way back, Annie said, "Eva? Do you think her 'hiding abilities'" - air quotes - "are some kind of special ability?"

Thoughtful pause. "You could have a point."

"Wait, wait," I interjected. "Special ability? I'm a …_vampire_" - it was weird saying it out loud - "not Superman!"

"Some vampires have special abilities," Eva explained. "Some read minds, some are trackers-"

"Like me," Annie interrupted.

"-and some work outside the mind," Eva finished.

"So you think I have some super-secret _hiding _ability?"

"No... more like invisibility."

"Seriously?" I thought about that for a moment. It seemed... _cool_, in a way. It might make this whole vampire thing even just a little easier. Then something else caught my attention. "Wait, Annie?"

"Yes?"

"You said you were a tracker? What does that mean?"

"It means that I can track people down. It's sort of like I have an internal GPS," she told me.

"So that's how you found me," I said.

She nodded. "It is. Oh, look, we're back."

We were. Lydia was leaning against the door frame, looking anxious until she saw us. She smiled, and it lit up her beautiful face. "Oh, I was worried." She put a hand on my shoulder and guided me inside.

"I wouldn't have run off," I told her. Even if I wasn't too happy about being one with the eternally damned, someone had to guide me until I could go off on my own.

"It would only be expected," Lydia replied.

"Lydia, you were right about her," Annie announced, without introduction.

Lydia turned to her, cocked an eyebrow, and sat down in a green armchair, gesturing for all of us to follow suit. "Really? Do tell me, what is she capable of?" I wasn't sure whether or not I was imagining the sarcastic tone in her voice.

"Well," Annie explained, "Eva and I were out looking for her. My gift was telling me that she was practically right next to me, but I didn't see her anywhere. I looked up, thinking she may have been in the trees, but I didn't see her there either. After a moment or two, she dropped out of the trees and let her presence be known. I'll tell you right now, I'm not too used to being surprised, but I was today."

"So," Lydia said, "you think she has been given the gift of invisibility?"

Annie and Eva nodded.

"Well, well, well," Lydia drawled. I never noticed her slight Southern accent until now, but there it was. "I suppose I _was _right."

"Wait a second," I said. Three pairs of crimson eyes turned to me. I shifted a little in my seat and continued. "Lydia, do you have a special ability too?"

She smiled at me. "You could say that. I get... bursts of intuition, you could say, about people, places, or even objects. It's more or less infallible."

"So you can tell if someone's not being honest with you, or something like that?"

"Yes, you could say that. While I was human, in the early 1880s, I had very good intuition. People always told me I'd be a good mother because of that. It's not a option, now, obviously." She seemed a bit wistful of that, but she recovered quickly. "Well, now. I suppose we can work with that little quirk of yours, hmm?" She was chomping at the bit to get going, I could tell.

"There's no better time than the present," I muttered.


	4. Chapter 4

Lydia was really beginning to get on my nerves. I think I honestly hated the woman, and I don't say that about many people.

Almost the moment my abilities were proved to her, she had me working. The only breaks I took were to hunt, and since I was still only a month old by vampire standards, that was often every few days. (Side note: mature vampires can go at least a week or two without feeding, but since I was still rather young, I needed to more often). Lydia seemed irritated that I couldn't hold out longer, but it was getting to the point where I couldn't focus on anything but the burn in the back of my throat. She usually let me go when I started griping at her and refused to do anything she told me. Then I would run off with a self-satisfied smile on my face. But as the weeks went by, when Lydia gave me orders, I noticed her tone becoming more and more frantic.

Speaking of feeding, I really did try my hardest to hold off the unbearable thirst for while I could – a whole two weeks was my record – but it was difficult. It became all I could think about, eventually. What troubled me most about the whole thing, however, was feeding off of humans. Human blood appealed to me more than animal blood, of course, but gut-wrenching guilt overtook me every time I took an innocent life. My other two options, drink animal blood or go without, were less appealing, but the first was ideal. Going without? Unbearable to even think about. Abstaining? Extremely difficult, but not impossible. Eva, Annie, and Lydia always laughed at me whenever I brought it up, saying that I had no reason to try and be virtuous now since I had eternity, so I tended to keep my thoughts to myself.

Eternity... it was odd trying to come to terms with it. Fact was, I had _forever_ to get used to being a vampire. A month ago, I was worried I would never be able to do what I wanted in my life. Now, I could go wherever I wanted, have whatever I wanted, _be _whatever I wanted. It was exciting and scary all at once. Slowly but surely, I was making my peace with being a vampire. Of course, life (existence, rather) didn't change with species, so there were still struggles, but I figured it couldn't be too bad.

But of course, in the very same moment you begin to feel in control, reality slams back in and reminds you who's _really _in charge.

Something had irritated Lydia one day before we began our daily routine of "training." To me, that seemed like the wrong word for it. More or less, it was Lydia bossing me around and telling me how incompetent I was. After a _month _of her throwing her weight around, I was done with it. What made _her _our "leader" anyway? Couldn't we all be equals?

"Can't you do _anything _right?" she snapped at me. "We've been doing this a for a month and I have seen _no _improvement!"

That wasn't true – I _had _been improving. I was able to project me invisible on someone in close proximity, but I couldn't hold on to it for very long. I was trying to stretch it out, feel my gift, which I had taken to calling my "cloak." Lydia was trying to increase the number of people I could cloak from one to two or three. Eva and Annie were our volunteers.

"And you call going from being able to only shield myself to being able to shield one other person no improvement?" I countered, glaring at her. Eva and Annie stared at me like I was insane – nobody went against Lydia. Her manipulation over us was like iron bands... that I was about to break – over me, at least.

"It's not good enough!" she yelled. "I want _more_!" Her voice went up a view octaves; she was shrieking by now.

"How does it affect you, anyway?" I asked her. "What are you trying to hide, Lydia?"

Huge mistake.

She moved so quickly that even with my increased vampire reaction time and newborn strength and speed, I couldn't stop her. She put her hands around my neck and tackled me to the ground. I was fighting her, hard, and I could see she was struggling to keep me down, but she was managing. Eva and Annie were watching our fight, frozen in place like two marble statues of angels. The crash of our bodies hitting the ground echoed throughout the forest.

"That," she growled, "is _none _of your business."

"It becomes my business if you try and use me."

"You are my creation," she told me, "and I will do with you what I wish."

That pushed me over the edge. "I am my _own_!" A terrifying snarl escaped my throat and I shoved her. She went flying backwards and hit a tree, which cracked partway down the middle. I got to my feet and took off into the forest.

I was _finally _getting away from here. I had been considering it for months, but I wasn't sure how to go about it. Apparently, opportunity came knocking and I answered the call appropriately.

I was mildly surprised to hear Eva telling me to wait up for her and Annie a little while later. I skidded to a halt, and they appeared in front of me. Annie seemed very worried, and Eva just looked confused.

"What in God's name was that, Kristin?" she demanded.

"She pissed me off for the last time, Eva," I muttered, "and I wasn't going to lay down and take it one more time."

"You guessed correctly, you know that?" Annie murmured. "She is trying to hide something. That's why she attacked you."

Eva and I turned to her, sharing a look of confusion. "What do you mean?" I asked her.

She sat down on a log and motioned for Eva and I to do the same. "Let me explain."

We sat and waited for her to collect her thoughts.

"Lydia was the one who created me," she began. "It was in the year 1903, in Maryland, and I was sixteen. She attacked me on my way home from a friend's house one night. She told me that she had special plans for me in my new life, and I believed her. She 'trained' me, and helped me develop my abilities as a tracker. I was useful to her, so we learned to get along. I was much too complacent – something I regret.

"I created Eva by accident, in 1925, in Chicago." She glanced at Eva, who met her gaze and smiled. Annie continued, "I was simply walking down the street, and I followed her scent down an alley and I attacked her. Lydia stopped me just before I killed her... 'Too noticeable,' she told me. But it was too late. We let her become one of us. Lydia planned on teaching her the basics and then releasing her, but Eva and I became friends. She decided it would help to keep me around if she stayed, so she let her."

"But why does she want you around badly?" I wondered. "And me?"

"To hide her," Annie answered.

"From what?"

"The Volturi."

I had been told about them. They were the unofficial royalty of our world, and they kept our kind in line. They and their guard enforced one rule and one only – keep the vampire in the bag, and you could live out eternity in peace. Many of our kind have never met them, and the ones that have never wish to again – or are dead.

Eva was gaping. "What did she _do_?" she asked.

Annie shook her head. "I don't know," she told us. "She never told me. She said it was to protect me, and you, because one of them reads minds."

"I can see why she would want me, but why you? You're a tracker," I said.

"True, but if I'm waiting for someone to come to me, I can tell which direction they're coming from. Which direction to run away from," she murmured. "I have bad news," she continued abruptly.

"What?" Eva and I asked together.

"Yesterday, I sensed them coming from the south, and they're close. I've been ignoring it lately, which was foolish of me. If they come here, we'll have to be there, or they'll hunt us down, too."

"We're doomed, aren't we?" I murmured.

"Pretty much," Eva concluded, then sighed.


	5. Chapter 5

We had realized that we were condemned to death by association. My new life had barely started and I was already preparing myself to die. It'll never end, will it?

"I think we should head back," Eva said. "Lydia's probably losing it."

"I agree," Annie replied.

We started running back, each of us eager to get back and tell Lydia that we would have to leave. I had been told that ever since our small coven had started running, they had been all over the country several times. It was a near constant game of hide-and-seek. This was the longest time they had ever stayed in one place.

When we arrived back, we found Lydia pacing outside our cabin. When she heard our approach, her head snapped up. I saw a flicker of relief flash across her face, but it was soon replaced by a vicious scowl.

"There you are! Do you even realize how concerned I was?" Her tone suggested otherwise, but I wasn't about to mention it now.

"Lydia," Annie murmured, "we have news."

This seemed to interest her. "And?" she inquired.

"The Volturi... are close. Again," Eva announced.

The scowl melted off her face, and she looked... scared. That was the only way to put it. She looked at Annie. "How close?"

"Very," she told her. "Coming closer all the time. We have to act now or we'll never get away."

Lydia nodded. "Alright, then. We leave now."

With that, she dashed into the house, and with a speed only a vampire could manage, started throwing a few changes of clothes into a backpack. We followed suit.

I had moved several times before, but I had never been outside the northeastern United States. I was born in Pennsylvania, actually, but I had lived in Montpelier for most of my life. It wasn't until about six months ago that I moved to Waterbury, which was much smaller than what I was used to. Yet, here I found myself, packing my bags, getting ready to not just change residences, but to flee. Lydia wasn't even really sure where exactly we were going.

Once all our things were together – things being clothes and valuables, nothing else – Lydia turned and faced the three of us.

"We'll head north," she told us. "Into Canada. You all have your passports, I presume?"

We nodded. She had forged us all passports, complete with pictures and fake names.

"Good."

"We should rent a car," I suggested. "So they won't be able to follow our scent."

"No," Lydia snapped. She shot me down almost before I was finished speaking. "The Volturi's tracker does not rely on scent alone. He tracks your mind, your brain waves. The radius in which he can sense you is enormous. A car is not fast enough. We have to go on foot."

With that, we set off into the setting sun. It's actually pretty amazing how much ground you can cover when you don't have to stop and rest. It was liberating, getting to run so much. I felt myself letting loose, pushing myself farther ahead of the others with the strength of my new muscles.

"Planning on reaching the Arctic?" Eva asked, catching up to me.

I laughed. "Why not?"

"Because no matter how far we run, they always seem to find a way to get close to us again," Annie said, frowning.

That reminded us of our purpose, and all of us ran faster.

Lydia remained grim the whole trip, her brows furrowed. Anytime there was a sudden noise, she would jump nearly fifteen feet in the air and snarl in the general direction of the sound. Then Annie would remind her that no one was there, and she would relax slightly.

None of us knew what she had done to anger the Volturi, but it must have been something huge. She wouldn't tell us what happened – believe me, I had asked plenty of times – and I was becoming increasingly curious. Eva commented, "If things get any worse, we'll find out, won't we?"

I couldn't help but agree with her.

I'm not exactly sure when we crossed the Canadian border, but when I caught a glimpse of a highway sign in English and French, I figured out where we were.

As we were running, I thought about what I had gotten myself into. Was this what my life as a vampire was going to be like? Constantly running away from unseen forces that want me dead?

You could always leave, a small voice in my head whispered.

But where would I go? I'm new to this thing, I'd probably cause more trouble for myself.

The only answer I could give myself was simple: keep running.

When we reached a town called Drummondville, Lydia told us to stop. She turned to us. She looked a little relieved, now, at least. We were gathered at a gas station on the outskirts of town. The humans were looking at us strangely – most likely wondering what a group of four extremely attractive women were doing at a gas station in the middle of the night without a car, but we paid them no mind. It was still something to be out in public as a vampire, knowing that the humans were in more danger than they realized. I could hear each of the heartbeats, pumping blood through their veins, and my throat burned. I held my breath, not liking how uncomfortable I felt without a sense of smell. I attempted to focus my attention on what Lydia was saying, but I could tell that learning to ignore my thirst was going to take a lot of time and willpower.

"We've put quite a bit of space between us and the Volturi's assassins now," she announced, in a voice so fast and low that no humans would be able to overhear. "We will continue to Montreal. It will be much easier to disappear there, so to speak."

"How far are we exactly?" Eva asked.

"Roughly 70 miles," Lydia answered. "It shouldn't take us too long to get there."

Annie was frowning down at the map we had purchased in the gas station. "We've really been carving out a complicated path," she muttered to herself, though of course we could all hear her. "Lots of off-branches... Lydia, are you quite sure this will fool them? If Demetri is with them, which you can guarantee he is.."

"It's worth a try, Annie," Lydia told her. Her voice shook very slightly with the desperation she was trying to hide. Her pride was keeping her from showing us just scared and affected she was by this. She knew it wasn't going to work, but she was simply running out of options. "We may as well head off," she told us. We followed the Saint-Francois River out of town, then headed southwest toward Montreal.

When we got to the city, it was nearly dawn. We checked in to a hotel downtown. The receptionist at the front desk seemed a little confused about our minimal luggage. I gave her a small, reassuring smile to make her feel more comfortable. She returned it hesitantly. As I walked away, I grimly realized that she would not have smiled back if I took my sunglasses off and she caught a glimpse of my scarlet eyes. Though I found having to wear the stupid things a little annoying, as it interfered with my quality of sight a bit, I knew it was necessary. I wish it wasn't, I thought. Then again, I wish none of this had ever happened, I added bitterly. You shouldn't be bitter, my better judgment murmured. Just make the best of things.

I sighed and the four of us stepped into the elevator. Lydia glanced at me questioningly, quirking an eyebrow. I shook my head slightly. She simply stared at the closing doors and took her sunglasses off, revealing crimson eyes that were openly wide and scared. She obviously had no idea what to do next. I had the frightening notion that we were being cornered. Or worse, herded.

When we got to our rooms, we dropped off our backpacks and gathered in mine and Lydia's room. She forced me to room with her. I knew she was paranoid that I would escape, and I knew that I was perfectly capable, but I decided to wasn't really worth it. What else was out there for me, besides?

We had to discuss what our next move was going to be, and what Annie could see on the horizon.

"Are they far away, Annie?" Lydia asked, her lips a thin, pale line and her eyebrows furrowed in worry.

"Farther, yes. Still a little too close for comfort," she informed us, meeting each of our gazes.

Lydia cursed under her breath, which didn't sound right in her ladylike voice.

"Maybe we should just go to meet them," Eva suggested. "Fight them if we have to."

On top of training me in my special talent, I was also taught basic combat skills. But I wasn't feeling too confident about fighting vampires that were only decades older than me, much less centuries, possibly even millennia older.

Lydia laughed without amusement. "And end up a pile of ashes? Not likely," she said, clearly patronizing.

"I couldn't take them on, but you could? Is that what you suggest?" Eva responded, her eyes narrowing. The remark was almost a hiss.

I was pleased to know that I was not the only getting a little fed up with Lydia's whole "big-and-bad" act.

Lydia got up from her chair and was in Eva's face in less than a second. "I can do whatever I wish," she growled. "You, however, are under my control."

"Excuse me? Who exactly made you head bitch in charge?"

Their voices were getting louder, and I knew that if they continued arguing, things would get more and more complicated to explain to the hotel staff. I needed to stop this.

"Lydia, Eva," I interrupted. "Nobody belongs to anyone. We need to figure out a solution to this, together."

Lydia turned her anger toward me. "This is my problem. No one else's. I will handle it my way."

"Then why are we here?" Annie asked.

"I know why," Eva said, her voice shaking with her fury. "If we come out of this, I want to be around when she pays us back for all the shit we've gone through for her sorry ass," she spat, glaring daggers at Lydia.

"You chose to stay! I don't owe any of you a damn thing!"

And with that, she left the room, the only evidence of her presence being the slamming of the door, which nearly fell off its hinges.

After that, we settled in for the night, though of course we didn't sleep. We had no idea what the next day would bring us, but something told me it was nothing good.

I was proven correct when Annie gasped, and whispered, "They're in the hotel."


	6. Chapter 6

**Crazy stuff going down this chapter guys! :D hope you like it! I have a tendency to move the plot along too fast in my stories, so I'm attempting to slow it down some this time around, but if it's going too slow or anything else is wrong with it, feel free to give me constructive criticism. :) Thanks ! xoxo Sarah 333 ILY guys!**

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><p>Eva and I turned our gazes to her. It had been a few hours since Lydia had stormed out, and the sun was shining over Montreal. We were beginning to worry whether her sparkling skin would be noticed by the humans, but Eva reminded Annie and I that even she was not that stupid to get caught that easily. We were not entirely sure where she was, as she hadn't bothered to contact any of us, and at most times we didn't care. Now, we were more worried about what the Volturi would assume if they found her and we were not with her.<p>

"Where is Lydia?" Eva asked.

Annie looked at us both, clear panic in her eyes. "Downstairs," she murmured, dropping her gaze. "She's treated all of us poorly, but I have an idea what they'll do to her when they catch her. I would never wish it on anybody." Her voice shook with the tears she could no longer shed.

I looked to Eva, who was staring at the window, obviously seeing at as an escape route. Catching on to her line of thought, I asked, "Could we jump out without attracting too much attention?"

She shook her head. "Don't think so. They're so close, I doubt we could get away."

Annie look utterly defeated. I, however, was not going down without a fight. "There has to be some way," I muttered.

We heard voices in the hallway, unfamiliar voices. We froze.

"Oh, God, no," Annie whispered, barely audible even to our enhanced sense of hearing.

I darted to the corner of the room and tapped into my ability, making myself disappear. It was practically second nature now. _I have something to thank for her, in the end. _

It all happened fast. Four male vampires entered the room wearing dark gray cloaks, quiet and graceful, like all of our kind. One was very close to seven feet tall, with cropped black hair and a slight olive tint to the typical pallor, and muscular. He scared me. Though I still retained my newborn strength, I was pretty sure this guy would dominate me in a fight.

The second was a few inches shorter than the first, but he too had black hair and olive-tinted skin, though his hair reached his shoulders. He was muscular as well, but in a different way, more lean. Still imposing.

The third was what appeared to be a small boy, with light brown hair and round, baby angel sort of face. He seemed out of place among the others, but he was Volturi for a reason, I suppose.

The fourth was drastically different from the previous three. He was almost six feet tall, yet not quite, and his hair was shoulder-length and almost as white as his skin. He had a vicious scowl on his face, and, lo and behold, he had a head of blonde hair clasped in his bony hand. It was Lydia, being dragged along the floor on her knees. Her crimson eyes were glassy and unseeing, her expression blank. _What on earth did they do to her? _

Annie couldn't help but keep looking over at my hiding place. I wish I could tell her to not give me away, but I couldn't without doing just that. I could only watch in horror. I would have gladly hidden the two of them, but there had been no time.

The white-haired vampire spoke then. "I hope this teaches you a lesson," he whispered, in a voice as sharp as broken glass. "As you are now fully aware, it does not do to make us out to be fools."

Just then, Lydia's eyes came back into focus, and she turned her gaze to Eva and Lydia. Then her face took on a questioning expression, obviously wondering where I was. "Where is-?" she started to ask, but was silenced quickly by the white-haired one pulling a little harder on her hair. She snarled and tried to pull away, and was rewarded with a kick in the small of her back, while still remaining under her captor's control.

With the Volturi's entourage's attention otherwise diverted, I decided to rustle the curtains next to me just slightly, to show her that I was there... but not. Lydia's eyes flickered over to where I stood for a fraction of a second, then away. I took that as acknowledgment.

The white-haired male looked at Annie and Eva. "And what is your involvement in this treachery?"

They stared at him for a moment, then looked at each other. Eva swallowed and told him, "We don't know what she did. We're only part of her coven."

He made a noise that I thought was supposed to be a laugh, albeit an unamused one. He was about to continue when Lydia forced out, "I never told them. I was selfish, it's true, but I wanted to protect them."

She wasn't hurt that time. The four vampires looked at each other, considering. That's when another fifth vampire entered the room. By the look on Annie's face, he was _not _expected. He was fairly tall and dark-haired. His skin, like the white-haired vampire's, looked different from the others, kind of like onion skin. His eyes, I noticed, were strangely cloudy, as if he had cataracts, which I knew was ridiculous. "I see I am needed," he said, and he smiled, though it was more of a leer.

The white-haired one seemed a little surprised. "Indeed, Aro," he murmured, letting go of Lydia's hair and stepped back to let the other vampire through. Lydia shot up from the floor and stood next to Eva, looking extremely nervous all of a sudden.

Aro glanced at Lydia with a sad expression that I saw was fake right away. I felt myself tense up when he reached for her hand and held it in both of his for a few seconds, then let it go.

"She speaks the truth," he announced. "Yet, there is one other among us." His gaze fell upon my little hiding place. I sighed and took a few steps forward, making myself visible again. The other vampires raised their eyebrows and made noises of surprise, and Aro just smiled like it was Christmas morning and he got exactly what he wanted. It was damn weird, to put it bluntly.

"Quite the intriguing ability you have, young one," he said to me.

I just nodded. I didn't trust this guy.

"Remember our purpose here, brother," his counterpart muttered.

"Calm yourself, Caius." Aro placed a hand on his shoulder briefly. "Felix, Demetri, Alec, why don't you finish our duty here?"

Lydia's expression became slack once more, and the three other vampires led her out of the room. Annie let out a small, choked sob, and Eva simply stared at nothing in particular. Aro turned to us like nothing happened and spoke.

"I have seen that the three of you were not aware of the _exact_ injustice committed by your coven leader. However, you were aware that she was guilty of a crime that is unforgivable." His expression was grave, like he was sorry for us. I didn't buy it. Not at all.

"Thus, you have been found guilty by association."

Just then, in the distance, I heard a sharp, keening noise, like metal being shredded apart, and I knew Lydia had met her end. Annie and Eva looked shocked.

"Except for Kristin," he added.

_Um... what? _I was still confused. How did he know what we knew and what we didn't know? Was he some kind of mind-reader? It was possible, I supposed. The three vampires who assassinated Lydia were back and they took Eva and Annie away, their expressions blank and dazed. Soon, it was only me and the two leaders. I felt despair for the first time since all this happened. What now? Where would I go? Who was I now?

"You, young one, are being offered a place in our Guard," Aro announced.

"I..." I wasn't sure what to say. I could hear the sounds of shredding metal in the distance again, and it scared me. Would that be me in the fire if I refused? Besides, what other options did I have now? I would be completely by myself if I refused. Even so, would they allow me to? I didn't know, and I wasn't about to take any chances. So I made a life-changing decision. "I will," I whispered.

"Excellent," Aro murmured, smiling and taking my hand, leading me away to a new destiny.


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey! hope you enjoy the latest update(: R&R!**

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><p>The airplane ride back to Italy was both depressing and awkward at the same time. Depressing, because I had given myself to the leaders of the vampire world as their servant and I really did not want to do it, and awkward, because I didn't know anybody, and I was not in the mood to start making friends.<p>

It didn't seem like anyone else was, either. I was _nearly_ ignored the entire trip, which I didn't mind. I wanted to be left alone.

A small, black-haired female vampire came and sat next to me at one point. "Hello," she greeted me, a gentle smile on her face. "You must be our newest recruit. My name is Renata, I'm Aro's personal bodyguard."

_Why on earth does a vampire need a bodyguard? _I wondered. _Besides, this girl is so small I'm surprised she doesn't get blown away by the wind. _

Being polite, I answered, "I'm Kristin," in a small voice. Not because I was shy, I just knew to keep my head down.

But Renata only smiled. She patted my shoulder and said, "It's been a pleasure speaking with you. I hope you enjoy your time with the Volturi." Still smiling, she walked away.

When we landed in Volterra, it was on a private landing strip owned the by the Volturi – naturally. It was nighttime, the stars sparkling across the sky. I could see it so much more clearly now, with these new eyes. I took a few seconds to appreciate it before moving on.

We entered the city, and the sounds of sleeping humans were everywhere. I could hear their slowed, subtle heartbeats, but it didn't make me thirsty. It was peaceful.

Our group reached a thick iron grate in the city's cobblestone ground. Felix lifted it from its place, and nodded to us to jump down. I landed on my feet with a soft thud. We continued down the dimly lit tunnel until we reached a set of stairs locked behind an iron gate. Following the stairs up, we arrived at a pretty standard-looking door, which was unlocked. We entered into what looked like an office, though I knew that couldn't be what it was. The bland industrial carpet, the plain white walls – it seemed so out of character for the Volturi. I guess I was wrong.

What threw me off even more was the dark-haired, tan human girl sitting behind a desk a few feet away from the elevator we were heading towards. She looked up from the paperwork she was doing and was about to smile, but it died on her lips. She simply nodded at our party and murmured, "_Bentornato." _

Aro smiled at her, but it didn't touch his eyes. A fabrication of happiness. "_Grazie, _Chiara."

Chiara just barely nodded, her dark eyes wide and scared. I felt bad for her – I knew what our presence was doing to her, and I was guilty. I smiled at her, trying to reassure her that I wasn't out to kill her. Before I turned away to enter the elevator, I thought I saw her smile back tentatively, then drop her gaze.

It was a bit cramped in the elevator. I was shoulder-to-shoulder with Renata, who was in turn very close to Aro and Caius. It was like she was sewn to their cloaks. I wasn't sure if she was ever away from them for very long. The two ancients ahead of her were touching each others hands. I wasn't entirely sure what was happening there, but Alec, standing on my left, noticed my questioning expression, explained it to me. "Master's special gift is reading minds via touch. He can read every thought you've ever had simply by touching you." His soft, silky voice was like a fake voice recording – emotionless and monotone. He went back to pretending I didn't exist.

I was frozen in place. _Every thought? _I wondered. There were certain things I wanted kept private, but obviously that was lost now. He had already touched me. He had touched Lydia – I winced mentally at the bad memory – and knew what the situation was. And that I was there, and what my powers were. _Isn't anything sacred? _I thought, irritated.

_He probably has certain things he'd rather keep under wraps. But no one can read his mind. It's not fair._

The elevator doors slid open then, and we all filed out quickly, grateful for the personal space. We continued walking down the hall, the stone walkways covered with tapestries and very old oil paintings. We reached a set of ornately carved doors at the end of the long walkway and entered a large, round, carpeted room. _This must be some kind of castle turret_.

This room was also made of stone, but there were various rugs on the floor and on the walls. A fireplace burned at the end of the room with chairs, chaise lounges, and sofas

gathered around it. I looked up, and there were bookshelves upon bookshelves stacked up very, _very _high around the walls, all filled with books. _I could spend _hours _in here... _I thought to myself, delighted.

There were others in this room besides the ones I'd come in with, a sea of black and dark gray cloaks, like mine. An average-sized, red-haired female vampire with a heart-shaped face and wide eyes leaned against one of the chaise lounges; what appeared to be a small, androgynous-looking girl with a short, light brown hair and full lips was standing next to her. She was Alec's carbon copy, apart from her feminine features. _That must be Jane, Alec's twin sister. _There was another female with light brown hair standing next to Jane, but she was several inches taller and more curvy, and she carried herself like a snob; next to her, a tall, dark-haired male, with sharply defined features. He had his arm around her waist, and he was very close to her. _Must be her mate_, I assumed. Then, a very tall, muscular male with an olive tone to his pale skin and dark hair tied back in a ponytail. Next to him, a tall, statuesque female with long, dark reddish-brown hair, easily the most beautiful of them all.

Lastly, there was another tall, dark-haired male in the corner of the room, sitting in a chair, staring off into space looking bored. His skin was thin-looking, like Aro's and Caius's, his eyes filmy._ Marcus._ His name came back to me then. He was physically the youngest of the three leaders, easily, possibly eighteen or nineteen when he was transformed.

"We are here today to welcome our newest member," Aro announced, his soft voice carrying throughout the entire room. He smiled at me, a gesture I did not return. "Kristin! She has been gifted with invisibility."

A few curious glances and skeptical murmurs sparked across the room. I looked around myself a few times, then began studying the rug under my feet, feeling uncomfortable.

"Kristin, my dear, why don't you show them your talents?"

This was the absolute_ last _thing I wanted to do, but I had to. I looked up, and made myself invisible. I moved around the room a few times, nudging things as I went to let people know where I was, then I stopped. I became visible again, and everyone seemed impressed. I smiled a little, pleased with myself.

"Good, good," Aro practically purred. "Now, get acquainted until Marcus, Caius, and I return."

The three leaders left the room. My eyes lingered on Marcus as he passed. His burgundy eyes were not just uninterested, but... sad. He caught me looking at me, and I was about to look away. But those sad, uninterested eyes widened almost imperceptibly. He raised his brows, nodded to me, and left the room.

"That's the most interest I believe I've ever seen him show in anything," came a high-pitched female voice from beside me. I turned, and it was the redhead. She was looking at me curiously, still. I sighed. I was going to be a hot commodity for a while. "My name is Corin," she told me. "I may as well introduce you to everyone else." I perked up a little – I _was _interested in who this people were. I'd have to know later.

"You do know Jane, right?" she asked me.

"Yeah," I told her.

"Well, the other one with the light brown hair is Chelsea, whose special talent is manipulating relationships; her mate is Afton, he can make himself mentally invisible to others. It's similar to your talent. The tall one with the long hair is Santiago. He doesn't have a special talent, he's just stronger than the average vampire. He tends to think with his muscles instead of his head." Corin rolled her eyes. She continued. "Lastly, the tall girl with the long hair is Heidi. She's the one who brings the humans here for our... needs. Clearly, it's not too hard for her."

I looked at Heidi for a moment, and I couldn't help but agree with her.

"Well, Kristin, I hope you do good here with us," she told me. "I know it must be hard for you, being so new to this life."

I nodded. "It's definitely not easy."

She placed her hand on my shoulder and began leading me out of the room. We walked down the hallway from earlier, but we turned a corner instead of going all the way to end. Up a flight of stairs. Around another corner. Of course I would remember all of this later – perfect vampire recall. _Thank goodness for that. _

"So, did you leave a lot of family behind?"

I shook my head. "Just my mother and step-father."

"Step-father?"

"Yeah. My dad died when I was twelve."

"How long ago was that?"

"Five years ago."

"You're only seventeen?"

I nodded.

She shook her head, looking sad. "So, so young to have your life taken from you."

"I know. Sometimes I wish Lydia had never changed me. Though there are some cool things about being a vampire." I had no clue why I was feeling so comfortable with this woman that I had just met, or why I was opening up to her. But I felt fine with it, which was odd for me. I was normally a very private person.

"Well, to use the common expression, when life gives you lemons, make lemonade, right?" Corin smiled.

I laughed a little. "Right."

"Well, you will find your things here. Good luck, little one."

I smiled, my first genuine smile in a while, it felt like. "Thanks, Corin."

"No problem."

And she left. With a sigh, I opened the door into my new room and my new life.


	8. Chapter 8

**Hello, one and all! :D Hope you enjoy this latest installment. Things are heating up! :) R&R! feel free to critique anything. thank you, and do enjoy.**

**I will be posting pictures of how I pictured the characters on my profile if you interested in taking a trip to my twisted mind xD  
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><p>Several weeks passed, and I was beginning to settle in with the Volturi. I didn't like it, exactly, but I figured I may as well make the best of this. Where else was I going to go?<p>

My duties were simple, because I was a new member. I always had an older, more experienced member of the guard with me or in close proximity of me, just in case "something happens." Granted, I was still a newborn vampire, only about a month and a half, almost two months into my new life, but I wasn't a wild animal. Aro even said himself that I was rather calm for being so young, in the vampire sense, anyway.

Yet I was still being watched.

Most often I was paired with Corin. She had been a friend to me since I arrived here, and being around her made me feel calm and safe, even content at times. But when she wasn't around, the happy feelings left with her.

Sometimes, I would have to patrol with Jane, who tolerated me, to put it lightly. She completely hated me, and she made it obvious every time we were together. I was beginning to think Caius was putting us together on purpose, just to make me snap. He always said I was too _together _for a newborn.

"Why on _earth _does Aro think you are of any use to us?" she had once complained to me. "Afton's talents are close to enough to yours that you ought to be of no use. Even he's only being kept around because Chelsea insists, and Aro can't lose her."

That last comment piqued my interest. "What do you mean, he can't lose her?" I asked, ignoring her griping over me.

She rolled her eyes. "I thought even you, virtually an _infant _would catch on to that. She's what keeps our establishment here from crumbling. If it weren't for her, we'd be tearing each other apart."

I couldn't help but believe her. But something else was nagging at me. "And you all have the exact same loyalties."

"Well, yes. The masters have created most of us. Our loyalties ought to lie with them, if no one else."

There was a weird tone in her voice when she made that statement. Like she was delivering that line for the hundredth time. Like she really didn't mean it at all. Yet I knew that if anyone should be loyal to the masters, it should be Jane and Alec. Aro saved their lives centuries ago. _They still act like robots, _I reminded myself.

Another troubling thought entered my mind. _What if I start to become like that? __Sure, it won't happen right away, but after a few decades, it might set in... _

Jane then muttered, "I've already said too much," almost too low for me to hear. I pretended not to notice.

Moral of the story, I had become suspicious off the ancients' motives. Were they _really _trying to preserve our kind's way of life? Or was it something deeper than that? Was it power? I wasn't entirely sure, and I knew I wasn't in any position to ask, of course.

My opinion of each of the ancients was different. I didn't trust Aro at all, and he knew it. He always told me that I was going to be beneficial to him, and that the Volturi's way of life was preferable to what most vampires went through. He seemed to accredit himself with that, only deepening my mistrust of him.

Caius, to put it plainly, was perpetually pissed off. I put it down to bitterness, but there was really no telling what he was bitter over. He snapped at anyone who looked at him wrong, and I had learned to simply nod his way, drop my head down and don't make eye contact.

Marcus... Marcus was a different story. I couldn't exactly form a negative opinion of him, simply because he never spoke. He walked the halls like a spirit, drifting from place to place unnoticed by most. I noticed him though. I noticed his seemingly bored expression, his equally empty burgundy eyes. I noticed something stirring beneath the facade of boredom and apathy – hurt, deep pain. If you were simply looking at him, you would never notice it, but I was curious, so I studied him. I could see the sadness in the way he carried himself, with his shoulders bent and his head low. He never glanced at anyone in particular, never bothered speaking to anyone. I had heard that he did speak, but only when spoken to.

The only one he seemed to look at – _really _look at – was me.

Every time I was around, he would glance at me a few times, the pain in his eyes becoming more pronounced. Then he would excuse himself and leave the room, in turn leaving me with a lot of unanswered questions.

I wondered what had happened to him that made him the way he was. What great tragedy could have taken place to make someone completely shut down like he had? I puzzled over this many times, never coming to any plausible conclusions.

One night, Aro, with Caius and Marcus looking on, had called me into his study to speak to me about promoting me, and furthering my training in my talent with Afton as my mentor, along with basic combat training. Once he was finished, he took my hand in both of his and sighed. "Oh, child," he murmured. "What an active imagination you have."

On that cryptic note, he dismissed me.

I made my way to the library, which had become my nightly haunt. I would stay there on my off-time, reading everything I could get my hands on. I hadn't even made a dent in the collection of books that was there at my disposal.

I entered the library, closing the wooden door softly behind me. I reached for _The Merchant of Venice. _Before I took a seat by the fireplace as usual, I glanced out the window at the setting sun. I always took time to enjoy the sights that nature had to offer me, and I took solace in it. The sunset and the sunrise always reminded me that there was something beautiful in this world, no matter how ugly things had become.

"You don't trust him," came a wispy, yet deep voice from behind me.

I whirled around, startled, and let out a soft hiss. It was Marcus. I shook my head slightly, and said, "I'm sorry," for hissing at him. Disrespect was not something that was taken lightly around here, from what I'd heard.

"You needn't apologize," he replied.

I didn't say anything back, and it was silent for a moment while we just looked at one another. He was beautiful, no doubt about it. I studied him for a second, admiring the way his black shoulder-length hair framed his face, until I realized he must have been expecting a response. If I could still blush, I would be bright red about then. Then what he had said not long before came back to me. "What did you mean?" I asked. "Who don't I trust?" I was playing dumb – I had a pretty good idea who he was talking about. I remembered that his special ability in this life was to see the relationships between individuals and how strong they were. He must have noticed my distrust of Aro.

"Aro," he whispered.

"You're right," I answered, just as quietly.

"Yes. But why?"

I hesitated. Aro kept a very close eye on Marcus's thoughts. Would what I said right now cause me trouble? I couldn't be sure. So I just said, "I don't really know. I'm just... apprehensive would be the correct word, I guess."

"Mmm. Yes," he mumured. He turned to leave, but he stopped at the door and looked back at me. I could see something sparking behind all the apathy and pain in his eyes, but I couldn't identify it. "Be aware of Aro. He isn't quite what he seems."

He left. I had already known as much, but that simple statement seemed to confirm my doubts.

_ There's something weird going on here... and I want to know what. _


	9. Chapter 9

After I spoke with Marcus in the library that night, the whole thing puzzled me. Why would he warn me about Aro and his intentions? Aro had to be one of his closest allies, not to mention one who could read every thought you've ever had. He had to have known about what had been discussed, and he couldn't have been _happy _about it, exactly. One of his main priorities was keeping the Guard loyal to him and the cause of keeping the vampire world secret from humans, which wasn't a very exciting task, to say the least.

I wondered about Aro, and why Marcus had risked himself to warn me about him, when I found out why I hadn't been slaughtered for treason yet.

I was walking at a human pace down one of the many corridors in the castle without a particular goal in mind when I heard Renata calling after me. "Kristin!"

I turned, and she was there walking next to me. "Hey," I greeted her.

She smiled. "I hope you're excited."

"About what?"

"About your initiation, of course."

"Initiation?" I hadn't heard anything about this...

"Well, yes. When you'll be officially inducted into our ranks, with other members of vampire society looking on."

"_Excuse _me?" Nobody told me anything about this! And it was even _my _initiation ceremony, apparently.

"No one's told you?" she asked me, looking confused.

"Obviously not, or I wouldn't be losing my mind right now!"

"Oh," she said. "Well, now you know. Aro's been occupied with sending out invitations to everyone."

_So that would be why he hasn't ordered me killed_. Then another thought hit me. "Wait, just how many guests are there going to be?"

She looked sheepish. "Well... not _that _many."

"How many is 'not that many'?" I pressed.

"A hundred... maybe more."

I was too busy picking my jaw up off the floor to answer her, so she continued. "Honestly, it won't be that bad. It'll be over before you know it. Besides, it's kind of a huge party, where you get to mingle with people you wouldn't normally get to meet. You'll have a lot of fun, I promise."

It was more of a threat in my mind. I hated parties. I never asked for birthday parties when I was a kid, because I didn't enjoy a bunch of people fawning over me. I wasn't antisocial or anything, I just didn't like attention very much. I was much more of a wallflower, which seemed to be intensified in this new life. This party looming in my future was like a nightmare.

"Well, I don't know..." I muttered.

Renata put a hand on my shoulder. "You'll enjoy it, I swear to you. I loved mine. And plus, you get to dress up for it."

I groaned. Just when I thought this wasn't going to get any worse.

The day was upon me. The day I was to be initiated as a permanent member of the Guard. The sun was rising as I checked the date on the small flip phone I had been given

April 15th. Interestingly, it had been April 1st when I found out about this initiation thing. _I sure wish it was an April Fools joke._

Renata and Corin had been all too excited to get me dressed and made up for the event. That night, after everything had been said and done, I looked at myself in the full-length mirror in my room. They had curled my normally straight dark brown hair into perfect ringlets framing my face. I had on a – not going to lie – beautiful dress from BCBG. It was a metallic red color, only one shoulder, and it went down to about mid-thigh. I loved it, but I wouldn't have said so out loud. The mascara and eyeliner around my eyes made their crimson color stand out.

I was wearing pretty plain black high-heeled pumps, and no jewelry but my Volturi pendant that everyone wore – gold, in the shape of a _V_, a ruby in the middle, with the Latin inscription on the back that said, "_Sic semper erat, et sic semper erit_," which translates to, "Thus it has always been, and thus it will always be." The last part to the words I would have to repeat after Aro, as I had been informed.

I made my way down to the main foyer, where the rest of the Guard had convened themselves, even the temporary members, who had not been given the honor of a full position. They in particular were glancing at me, some with respect, others with plain glares of envy. They had nothing to be jealous of – I didn't even want to be here in the first place.

We made our way into the main ballroom, and if it were still physiologically possible for me to faint, I would have. There were more vampires here in this room than I had ever come in contact with. My eyes widened, and I quickened my pace. I took a seat in my designated chair in front of the three ancients, and I waited. Everyone stood quietly, waiting for the ceremony to begin.

After some signal that I didn't see, the three leaders stood. Aro stepped forward a bit, then said to me in his soft, yet carrying voice. "Kristin," he murmured. "Come forward."

I came. I stopped a few feet in front of him. He said, "Today we are gathered here to witness the initiation of a talented young vampire into our ranks. I am pleased to have you, sweet one." He smiled at me, and I forced myself to put on a pleasant face and say, "Thank you, it's an honor." For the crowd's sake, of course. Aro already knew how I felt, and that's all that mattered.

He bridged the gap between us and took my hand in both of his. Caius came up behind me suddenly, a movement I hadn't even noticed, but I made myself stand still and not show any emotion. I didn't understand why he was there. I was shaking slightly, and my hair was about to fall out of the elaborate up-do that Renata had put it in, but there I stood.

"Repeat after me. _Vita brevis, ars longa._"

"_Vita brevis, ars longa_."

_Life is short, art is long... _

"_Mors tua, vita mea_."

"_Mors tua, vita mea._"

_Death is yours, life is mine_...

The Volturi's motto fell off of my lips, and I was glad I was getting this over with.

"_Nemo est supra legis_."

"_Nemo est supra legis._"

_No one is above the law... _

"_Sic semper erat, et sic semper erit_."

"_Sic semper erat, et sic semper erit_."

_Thus it has always been, and thus it will always be_...

As soon as the final words had been spoken, I felt a finger digging into the back of my neck, but I stood still. I remembered what Renata had told me – _whatever happens, don't move_. _They'll take it as rebellion_.

It didn't _hurt _exactly, it was just uncomfortable. Then Caius stepped back into my view, looking as stern as ever. I reached around to feel my neck - I felt a small letter _V_. Aro, still holding my other hand, laughed then, a slightly unhinged sound, then said, "You're mine now."

I stiffened even more. One other person had spoken similar words to me, and I had snapped then. I couldn't afford that now. _Come on, Kris, calm down... you can't do this now... _

Aro's joyous smile disappeared as the crowd applauded and began to talk amongst themselves. A slight smirk took its place. "You've been even harder to control than Alec and Jane were," he whispered. "But I've finally done it."

I glared, and straightened myself up to my fullest height. "Or have you?"

With that, I pulled my hand out of his grasp and walked away. I had probably just made a huge mistake, but I didn't care.

I belonged to _no one_.

* * *

><p><strong>Well damn. xD<strong>

**Hope you enjoyed it!  
><strong>


	10. Chapter 10

I melted into the throng of vampires that were getting out of their seats and starting up conversation with one another. I used my talent to cloak myself, and successfully blended into the crowd. I didn't fully realize just how many people there were in attendance, but it was much more than I had thought.

Before I made it out of the huge room, however, I was stopped by a slender brunette female vampire. She approached me with a hand outstretched as if to stop me. I was thoroughly confused. _How can she see me..._? When she got close enough, I could see that her eyes were a yellowish-gold instead of the typical crimson red.

"Um, excuse me? Kristin, right?"

I made myself visible again. I figured it was no use. "Yeah."

She smiled hesitantly. "I'm Bella Cullen. I thought I'd introduce myself. You okay?"

_Cullen. No wonder._ They were a coven of vampires known for living – I use that word loosely – off animal blood. That explained the color of her eyes. "Oh. Yeah, I'm alright, I guess."

"Is congratulations the correct sentiment?"

"Not really, but thanks anyway."

We just looked at each other for a half-second, then I thought of something. "Wait... how could you see me, just now?"

Her eyebrows furrowed. "What do you mean?"

"Well, my special talent is invisibility... you shouldn't have been able to see me."

She seemed to understand now. "Oh, I see. My special gift is a shield against other vampires' mental abilities. Apparently, your invisibility is an illusion."

I never thought about that before. _Huh_. "I guess I never thought of that before."

"Well, now you know. I should be going... my family might start to wonder where I am. Would you like to meet them?"

I shook my head. "Sorry, but I think I need some time to myself. Some other time, maybe."

She nodded. "Okay. We'll be staying here for a while, because Aro practically insisted. We'll have time."

I smiled. "Sounds good. I'll see you around."

She waved. "'Kay."

I turned and made my way out of the room, out of the foyer and down one of the many halls toward the library – my sanctuary. I thought about Bella and how nice she was to me. _Maybe it's the lifestyle_. Regardless, I appreciated her kindness.

I sat myself down in a chair by the fireplace. I'm not really sure how long I was there. I thought my choice to come here and stay with the Volturi. _This was such a huge mistake_, I thought. _I should have just politely declined and figured something else out. But no. I screwed up. _

I sighed. A childish thought entered my mind. _I want my mom._ I felt something catch in my throat, and I let out a dry sob with my next unnecessary breath. My eyes tingled with moisture I couldn't let go.

_So this is what it feels like to cry as a vampire_, I thought. _Damn you, Lydia! Damn you for doing this to me! Because of you, things aren't right anymore._

"It seems we always find ourselves here," came a deep voice from behind me.

I'm not sure whether it was a good thing or a bad thing that I recognized him before he was finished speaking. _Marcus._

I stood and faced him. We just looked at each other for a beat, then I asked the question that had been bothering me. "Why? Why are you talking to me? You never talk to anyone but me. Why am I so special?"

I saw something change in his normally blank expression. He looked at me like he'd never seen me before – _really _looked at me. It took him so long to speak I actually started to feel a bit uncomfortable. Then he said, "Because I see how you feel about Aro and Caius. It's unusual for a member of our Guard."

"How so?" I asked. They couldn't _all_ be Aro's biggest fans.

"Chelsea initially ties the newest members to my brothers and I. The bonds she creates are so strong that the new members would be willing to kill themselves for us, which is... odd for vampires. Being gifted with immortality, most of us would not give it up for anything."

I nodded. "I see. And I haven't been willing to do that for them."

"Exactly."

I had a morbid thought. _What if he's spying for Aro by talking to me? And what if Aro's biding his time before he kills me? _"Why are you talking to me about it like this, though?" I wondered. "Why aren't you dragging me off to Aro so he can teach me a lesson?"

He hesitated. "I do not want to do that."

"No, but _why_? Isn't the Volturi's power your main priority?"

He gazed out the window at the night sky. "It was at one time," he replied, still looking out at the city.

I can't lie – I was becoming increasingly curious. "What changed?"

Before he could answer me, I heard voices – female voices – coming from the hallway. We both looked toward the door. As the voices came closer, I recognized them as Corin, Renata, Chelsea, and Heidi.

"We can't be seen," he whispered, soft and quick. "Aro cannot know."

I grabbed his arm and cloaked myself, putting forth the extra effort to cover him, as well. The four women entered the library no sooner than we disappeared.

"I thought she'd be here," Corin murmured.

"I hope she's okay," Renata said. "She seemed really upset."

"She shouldn't have been," Chelsea muttered. "She should have been honored."

"I'm sure she was," Corin told her, frowning. "You shouldn't be so critical all the time."

I grinned a little. I was glad Corin was defending me. Ever since I arrived here, Chelsea despised me, and honestly wasn't sure why. Until now.

"I've never been able to reach her. And it bothers me," she hissed.

Corin just rolled her eyes. Her and Renata turned to leave, but Chelsea and Heidi blocked their way.

"You're going to talk to her that way, Corin?" Heidi asked her. Her voice was deep and slow, yet sweet, like honey. It scared me to death.

"I do what I want, Heidi."

Chelsea got in her face. "You listen to me. I could get you out of here in at any moment. Don't underestimate me."

"Believe me, I don't."

With that, the four of them left, the tension leaving with them.

I let go of Marcus's arm and my invisibility. I looked at him. He just nodded, like he had just confirmed something.

"You see?" he asked me. "We're falling apart."

It didn't sound like he was too torn up because of it. But I wondered... "Because of me?"

"In a sense. Chelsea is focusing most of her efforts on attaching you to Aro, but she's not managing it well. Thus, the rest of Guard is crumbling. I feel Aro will tell her to bring the others together before he comes back to you. It's in his nature to bide his time while still preserving the necessary things."

I caught the operative word. "_Necessary_ things?"

"The entire Guard is expendable in some ways. You are no exception."

I nodded. "True," I muttered.

"I must go," he announced. "But I implore you, be cautious. You may be more in danger than you realize."

He left the room, leaving me with more questions than answers.

* * *

><p><strong>Hope you guys like where this is going! I'm really enjoying writing this, and I hope you enjoy reading it! See you next chapter! :D<strong>


	11. Chapter 11

It was sheer luck that Aro left the following day for Rome with his wife, Sulpicia. Apparently it was their anniversary or something, which was completely fine by me. I would avoid him for the rest of eternity if I could manage it.

Speaking of which, I had never seen either of the wives until that day. Sulpicia was slender, with delicate features and curly golden blonde hair, it turned out. Athenodora, who came to see her off, was blonde as well (though her hair was pin straight), but taller.

Seeing them made me wonder where Marcus's wife was, if he even had one. He never spoke of her, if he had one. Corin once told me that Marcus hasn't been in the same room when Aro and Caius were with their wives in a long, long time. It made me wonder why.

The Cullens were going to be leaving soon, as well. I had met each of them – kind, compassionate Carlisle and his wife Esme; Edward, who, it turned out, read minds and his wife, Bella, along with their half-vampire, half-human daughter Renesmee; Alice, the infamous fortune-teller that Aro wouldn't shut up about, and her husband Jasper, whose ability was to sense and manipulate emotions; and lastly, Emmett and Rosalie, the latter of the two being probably one of the most beautiful vampires I'd met so far.

This saddened me more than Aro and Sulpicia's departure by far. The "vegetarian" vampires had treated me with so much kindness, I was overwhelmed. They were the only ones I truly trusted in this place, besides maybe Marcus. I wasn't entirely sure about him yet.

Though, if I was honest with myself, I had no reason _not _to trust him. He hadn't done anything to betray me. He had risked himself for me for no apparent reason. I had to repay him for something, but I had no clue what. I swear I felt worse every time I saw him.

Once Aro and Sulpicia were gone, I felt as if a huge burden had been removed from me – as if Atlas had the entire planet taken from his shoulders. I could finally relax. _And I can spend more time with Marcus, without anyone reporting back to Aro. _And for reasons unbeknownst to me, that made me very, very happy.

* * *

><p>That afternoon, I had settled in one of the many sitting rooms in the castle, where I sometimes just laid around and thought. But someone else decided to join me.<p>

"Hello," came an all-too-familiar voice from the doorway.

I sat up and looked up at him. I half-smiled. "Hi."

He walked over and sat across from me. I noticed then that he had something in his hands. I didn't realize what it was until he unfolded on the table between us.

"Care for a game of chess?" he asked.

I couldn't refuse him. There was something in his eyes I'd never seen before. He didn't look particularly happy, but he didn't look bored or depressed as usual. So I took it as a good sign and agreed to play a game.

After we set up the board, I told him, "This won't last long, I promise. I'm terrible at chess."

I could have sworn I saw the hint of a smile on his lips for an eighth of a second, but it disappeared as quickly as it came. "Don't be so quick to underestimate yourself."

I grimaced. "Saying that I might not fail _too _spectacularly is probably an overstatement."

Again, that hint of a smile. "I'll be pleased to prove you wrong."

Once we finished our game, my predictions came true. I lost. I had only captured three of his pawns by the end. I laughed. "See? I told you."

He almost-smiled again. "And I even went a little easy on you."

I just looked at him. _Did he... just make a joke?_Normally he was so serious all the time. I thought about it. In retrospect, I knew that he had made some changes since we started talking to each other. He seemed a little less depressed every day, even if the difference was miniscule. A small voice in the back of head whispered, _It's you. You're bringing him out of whatever hole he fell into. _I didn't know what to think of that.

All of this only lasted about a sixth of a second. I just smiled at him, and yet again, that frustrating almost-smile. Like he wanted to, but felt like he couldn't.

My smile faded. I decided I would dare to ask him the question I felt like I shouldn't have breached, but what could I lose really?

"Marcus?"

"Yes?"

"Did you ever marry?"

Just like that, any lightheartedness there had been blew like a candle. He winced. It was a quite a while before he answered me, and when he did his voice was barely above a whisper. "Yes, I did."

I wasn't sure whether I should have pressed him for more information – I was leaning mostly towards not, when I saw the immense pain in his expression – but he continued of his own accord.

"It was a long, long time ago," he continued.

I hesitated. "Do you mind if I ask what happened?"

He met my eyes then. They were burgundy now, since he hadn't fed in almost a week and a half. It was all the emotion swirling in their depths that made his beautiful face terribly saddened, and it made me feel terrible for asking anything in the first place – it was obviously a touchy subject. But there was a resolve there in his expression that I couldn't understand.

"No, I don't mind." He sighed, then continued. "Her name was Didyme. She was Aro's younger sister."

I think my eyes were about to fall out of my head. "You married Aro's sister? You and him are brothers-in-law?"

"Were," he corrected. "We were. She... died"-he winced again-"about eighteen-hundred years ago."

"I'm so sorry."

"I am, too."

Several minutes passed, and then I asked quietly, "What was she like?"

"She was beautiful," he replied, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, like saying the sky was blue or grass was green. "Most of all, she was simply _happy_. Perfectly content with everything she had, even after Aro transformed her without telling her about what she was getting into." Was that a trace of bitterness I could hear? "It was actually her special gift in this life. She carried an aura of happiness with her all the time, and you couldn't be upset for long when she was around. I fell in love with her the day I met her, it felt like. It wasn't anything unusual for her – every man who laid eyes on her loved her in one way or another. However, it was different this time – she loved me, as well.

"I was told she died in battle," he continued. "I told her not to go, but she wouldn't listen to me. I blamed myself for her death for a very long time. I still do at times."

"It wasn't your fault," I murmured, still taking it all in. "It was a tragic accident, Marcus. You can't blame yourself, and I doubt she does either."

He glanced up at me from his folded, long-fingered hands. "I think you're quite like her," he said.

I was pretty surprised. Why was he comparing me to his deceased wife?

"You believe there's hope for me. You pity me. You care for me. Just like she did."

Then I remembered what he was capable of. I met his eyes and nodded. "I do care about you, Marcus. You've been... good to me."

"I don't see why anyone would mistreat you, Kristin. I certainly will not."

He kept his gaze on mine for what seemed like eternity. I was sorting through how I truly felt about him as he stared. I had considered him a friend for the time I'd been here, but as I looked back, I realized it was more than just a friendship. I... cared about him in a way I knew now he could never return. It felt like I was being ripped in two. But all that mattered now was keeping him from feeling worse. He already lost everything. He didn't anything more.

"I hope you realize that I care for you, too, Kristin," he whispered. "Never forget that."

I blinked, and he was gone, the only evidence of his presence being his scent.

_He cares about me. _

_ Yeah, well that may be_, I thought, _but who does he care about more, me or her?_

I didn't know.

* * *

><p><strong>dun dun dun, drama! xD<strong>

**hope you guys are enjoying, as always! (:**


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